Helping Hands
by FLUFF-N-UTTER-1
Summary: Connor and Becker friendship on the edge. Early season 3. A brief series of one shots.
1. On the Edge of Nothing

**Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me, this is fan fiction, not for profit.**

**Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.**

On The Edge Of Nothing

_-x-x-x-x-x-x_

"Ow."

Everything hurt. Connor blinked and slowly opened his eyes to see blue sky above him. From somewhere behind him, a voice spoke.

"Don't move."

Too late. Connor's right hand was scrabbling in the loose gravel and dirt beneath him. His left hand was reaching, searching for ground, so he could push himself up. His left hand found only air. Connor twisted his head to look to the left. Beneath his left hip, he felt ground give way. He heard, or felt, the crumbling of dirt, the clatter of small rocks falling. Connor didn't hear the rocks land.

"I said don't move!"

"Becker?"

_-x-x-x-x-x-x_

_Connor remembered._

_The trip to Edinburgh with Cutter and Sarah was for research purposes. Cutter thought there might be some additional points to add to his anomaly map research model. Abby had stayed in London tending to the ill mammoth. The back up team was expected to cover any anomalies while they were away. Lester insisted Becker come with them._

"_Do try to keep them out of trouble," Lester instructed Becker._

_The first day had been spent in the city library. The second day had been spent traipsing from one location to another, searching for possible historical references to anomaly sightings. The long day had been unproductive and frustrating. _

_When Connor had suggested yet again, that they should move their search to the Loch Ness region, Cutter snapped._

"_Tomorrow," the Professor said "Sarah and I will return to the library. Connor, I want you to go to the Pentland Hills. Check out the ruins at Castle Law and if you have time, climb the trail at Scald Law. Becker, you go with him. Try to keep him out of trouble."_

_He and Becker hadn't stayed long at Castle Law. They had a map from the park services, and were soon at the Scald Hill trailhead._

"_Ooh!" exclaimed Connor pointing at a spot on the map "we should go there next."_

_Becker glanced at the map. "Temple Hill?" he asked, raising one eyebrow. "Let's see if you make it through this hike without spraining your ankle or breaking anything, before we plan any side trips."_

_Connor and Becker were approaching the summit. Most of the trail had been a gentle upgrade, but here the path narrowed and curved around the hillside. There was a steep ravine beside them. Connor was on the inside of the trail, Becker on the outside… to make sure Connor didn't fall over, the soldier had said with a chuckle._

_As the two men came around the curve, they were surprised to see a small horse standing in the path. The horse was surprised too._

_Connor barely had time to ask "What's a horse doing up here?" before the frightened creature bolted… towards them. The creature ran between the two men. It was past them and gone quickly. Connor was pushed against the hillside by the animal's passage. _

_Becker was pushed outward, teetering on the edge of the trail. Connor reached out and grabbed his friends arm near the elbow. The soldier clasped Connor's arm. For a moment, the two men stood there, balanced._

"_Thanks mate," said Becker with a grin "For a second there I thought…"_

_The edge of the trail gave way._

_Becker fell. Connor fell too. He landed face forward on the trail, his arm and shoulder dangling over the edge still holding Becker. _

_"Let go," ordered Becker._

_"No." _

_Connor had just a moment to wish he were bigger or stronger or something before Becker's weight pulled him over the edge too. They fell._

_-x-x-x-x-x-x_

"We're alive."

"Right genius," snorted Becker "and as long as you don't move, you might stay that way."

"Don't fancy laying on the edge of nothing," replied Connor. "I think I should move away from the edge. How far down is it?"

"I think you should stay still," argued Becker "I don't fancy watching you fall again. The drop doesn't look far, but it would probably hurt."

Becker didn't tell his friend how worried he'd been watching Connor in the long minutes after the fall before the scientist finally opened his eyes.

Connor slowly turned his head to the right, trying to ignore the sound of crumbling dirt and gravel falling with his movement. He looked at Becker. The soldier was scraped and dust covered but otherwise appeared alright. Becker appeared to be wedged between a rocky outcropping and some bramble bushes. He was only an arms distance away from Connor. Connor reached out his hand.

"Did I ever tell you I was afraid of heights?"

Becker stretched out his arm. The two men clasped each other near the elbow.

"On three," said Becker.

Connor nodded. More dirt and rocks crumbled at the movement.

"One… two… three," Becker counted. He pulled and Connor scrambled. Dirt and rocks gave way and clattered down the hillside, but Connor was safely on the rock in front of Becker.

Connor looked at the view of the park from his perch. He especially noted the steep drop from the edge where he had been lying just moments before. He gulped.

"I think we might need some help getting out of here," said Connor.

"Yeah," agreed Becker "but my cell phone is smashed. Have you got yours?"

Connor reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He flipped back the cover, but it slipped through his trembling fingers and fell. The phone bounced once on the rock, once on the dirt, and then it bounced over the edge.

"Oops," said Connor.

There was a momentary silence.

"How long do you suppose before Cutter and Sarah come looking for us?" asked Connor.

"Probably not until tea time," sighed Becker.

"Hmmph," said Connor. Then he asked "Have you ever played the cloud picture game?"

It was going to be a long wait until tea time.

_-x-x-x-x-x-x_


	2. Fault

**Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me, this is fan fiction, not for profit.**

**Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.**

Fault

_-x-x-x-x-x-x_

Abby was already in the hotel lobby when Becker came down the stairs promptly at eight o'clock the next morning.

"What are you doing here?" asked Becker. He looked in surprise at the petite blonde. She was yawning and the fleece top she wore over her black leggings and short checkered skirt looked a little rumpled. The rucksack next to her feet told him she had just arrived.

Abby quit yawning and grinned when she heard him. Her eyes focused solely on the soldier as he stepped off the bottom stair and walked a few short steps across the worn burgundy carpet to stand in front of her. She pointed at the door to the hotel's restaurant.

"Breakfast," Abby replied teasingly. "It's the most important meal of the day."

"No, really," responded Becker "why are you here in Edinburgh and not back at the ARC?"

"Elton's better," she answered, referring to the ill mammoth that had kept her in London for the past three days. "And Lester sent me on the overnight train."

"Oh," replied Becker without batting an eyelash.

Abby watched him closely for a moment, waiting... waiting… there! The soldier's right eyebrow moved up just a fraction of an inch.

"And did Lester say anything?" Becker asked quietly.

"Told me… and I quote," continued Abby making little quotation signs in the air with her fingers as she talked, "remind Becker that his job is to keep Temple out of trouble."

"Oh," said a voice from behind Becker.

Abby leaned sideways to see around the soldier, while Becker himself turned towards the sound.

"Connor," exclaimed Abby in surprise. Her flat mate was standing at the bottom of the stairs. His right arm was nestled in a sling.

"I didn't see you come down the stairs," she said. "What happened to your arm?"

"Just the usual, got meself in a spot of trouble," replied the ARC's technical wizard looking uncomfortable. "I'm hungry… think I'll just go... get some breakfast now."

Abby and Becker watched as the young scientist turned and walked towards the hotel's small restaurant area. The waitress greeted Connor with a sunny smile and pointed him towards a booth. He sat facing away from Abby and Becker.

"I saw the news on telly last night," said Abby, "but the reporter didn't say anything about injuries."

"We were on the news!" groaned Becker. So much for keeping a low profile on this research trip.

"Yeah," answered Abby "Lester saw the late news, that's when he called me."

"Lester saw us too?" asked Becker "He'll be furious, and it's all my fault."

"He wasn't furious, Becker. He was worried," said Abby. She thought the newest man on the team ought to know their boss a bit better by now. Lester maintained an aloof, businesslike air at all times, but Abby knew it was just an act for the public. Becker's final words sank in.

Abby narrowed her blue eyes to stare at Becker suspiciously, "What happened to Connor and why is it your fault?"

_-x-x-x-x-x-x_

_Becker explained the fall and its aftermath._

_The two men had sat precariously on the steep ledge of the hill all afternoon. Conner had counted seventeen different rabbit shaped clouds, two that looked like Rex and one that he insisted looked just like a stegosaurus. Becker merely grunted in agreement to whatever Connor said. He didn't play the cloud picture game. _

_The sun went down. In the darkness, it started getting chilly. Or chillier Becker suddenly realized. Becker had been sitting wedged between the rock and the bramble bush all day. He'd been out of the wind. Connor, on the other hand, had been sitting on top of the rock in the early spring breeze all that time._

_Connor was now sitting hunched over with his knees drawn up tight to his chest, his left arm wrapped around his legs, his right arm dangling by his side. His teeth were chattering. _

"_How much longer," chattered Connor "do you think before Cutter and Sarah start looking for us?"_

"_Dunno," replied Becker "Depends upon how long they stay at the library… I figure they'll be there at least until tea time…."_

"_Longer if_ _they find anything interesting," concluded Connor. _

_Any further discussion was interrupted by a shout from the trail up above them. Someone was shining a torch down at the two men._

"_Found them!" called the farmer triumphantly to someone behind him, "But we're going to have the dickens of a time getting them out of here."_

_It was an hour later before the police rescue helicopter arrived. Shining a spotlight down on Becker and Connor, the side door of the helicopter opened. A person was slowly lowered down in a harness. _

_The small woman landed lightly on the narrow ledge beside Connor. She held another harness and line in her hands._

"_Come on now," she encouraged holding the harness towards Connor "just slip this on and we'll be up and away. Then I'll come back and get your friend."_

"_Up," chattered Connor "over the edge?" He scooted back a bit, away from the woman._

"_Yeah," responded the policewoman brightly. She reached for Connor's arm. "Come on now!"_

"_Augh!"_

"_Connor," asked Becker "what's wrong with your arm?"_

"_Dunno," replied Connor miserably. "I'm not a doctor now am I?"_

"_I need you to cooperate young man," said the policewoman sternly "airlifts are dangerous. Get in the harness." She reached towards Connor again. He scooted further back. Becker stopped Connor from backing off the rock completely._

"_He doesn't like heights," explained Becker._

"_I can't take him up in the harness if he's not cooperating," the woman snapped._

"_I know," agreed Becker "Look, I've done this before, in Afghanistan. Go back up, and then send both harnesses back down empty. I'll bring Connor up."_

"_It's against regulations," the policewoman stated icily "I'm the professional, I'm supposed to take you … one at a time, hold you, make sure you get your footing in the helicopter." _

_Becker gazed at her. "Which is better," he asked "to stay here all night or to let another professional help… so we can all get off this ledge safely?"_

_There was a momentary silence. The policewoman gazed at Becker, while he in turn stared back at her._

"_You've really done this before?" asked the woman doubtfully._

_Becker nodded._

_The policewoman spoke into her communications device. Above the winch started, and hauled her up into the hovering helicopter. A few moments later, the empty harnesses and lines were lowered back down. _

_Becker grabbed at the harnesses._

"_Connor," said Becker "watch me..." He thrust one foot and then the other through the leg loops. "This is how the harness goes on," Becker continued. He pulled the shoulder straps over his arms and then buckled the whole assembly in front. _

"_Your turn now," said Becker._

"_No," replied Connor quietly "you go on, I'll climb down in the morning."_

_Becker looked at his friend. Connor's comment was ridiculous. Staying until morning wasn't an option that Becker even wanted to consider. _

"_If we were going to climb down," Becker said "we would have done it this afternoon."_

"_My shoulder hurts, and I'm so cold my hands are shaking," Connor explained "and I really, really don't like heights."_

"_I won't drop you," promised Becker. "You won't fall."_

_Connor looked doubtful, but then he moved forward across the rock. _

_Becker began tugging the harness around Connor's body. He was careful when he adjusted the shoulder straps on Connor, but the sudden wince the man made told Becker he hadn't been careful enough. _

"_Have you… really… done this before?" asked Connor hesitatingly, almost echoing the policewoman's words, as Becker gave the thumbs up sign to the woman watching from overhead._

"_Yeah Conn," replied Becker. He didn't think he would tell Connor that it had only been in training practice. Becker grabbed Connor around his waist, steadying the smaller man, being careful not to jostle the young scientists shoulder. _

_"Close your eyes," ordered Becker as the winch began to lift them up off the ledge. "When we reach the helo I'm going to push you forward into the cabin, you'll need to open them then."_

_The police helicopter took them into Edinburgh. They landed on the rooftop of the Royal Infirmary. Emergency services were soon checking out both Connor and Becker. _

_Becker winced as a nurse cleaned out the cuts and scratches on his arm with disinfectant. He was only half listening as the doctor poked and prodded his chest._

"_You've got some bruising," said the wizened old man "but you've really been very lucky. I don't think anything is broken. We could tape your ribs if you like, but you really don't need it."_

"_Right," agreed Becker "don't need it." _

_Becker was straining his ears, trying to hear the murmuring voices on the other side of the green curtain. The doctor speaking to Connor told him lie back, this is going to hurt for just a bit… _

_The sound of shuffling feet as the doctor and the nurse moved around drowned out the rest of the doctor's words. The sudden sharp cry that came from Connor brought Becker to his feet. _

"_You can't go in there," said the nurse as Becker hurried past her to stand in front of Connor._

"_Are you alright?" Becker asked._

_-x-x-x-x-x-x_

"Oh Becker," exclaimed Abby as the soldier slumped at the end of his story. "That wasn't your fault! Really, you can't blame yourself…"

"It's my job to keep him safe Abby," interrupted Becker. "Isn't that what Lester said? A dislocated arm is painful… Connor wouldn't have been hurt, if he hadn't tried to save me."

Abby looked at Becker. "It wasn't your fault," she repeated.

"Lester sent you," reminded Becker.

"I saw the early news report," Abby answered with a smirk. "When Lester called, I was already at the train station... I knew the two of you needed me to keep you both out of trouble."

Becker opened his mouth, and then shut it again without saying a word.

"Now, if you'll excuse me… I'm going in to have breakfast with Connor," Abby said "and remind him that Lester always says we're all a lot of trouble."

The petite blonde abruptly turned on her heels and went to join Connor in the restaurant, leaving Becker gaping. He started to follow her, but Cutter's voice stopped him.

"Captain Becker," said the Professor "I'd like a word with you about your report… in private."

_-x-x-x-x-x-x_


	3. Back Up Again

**Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me, this is fan fiction, not for profit.**

**Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.**

Back Up Again

_-x-x-x-x-x-x_

Becker followed the Professor away from the stairs. He stood in a quiet corner of the lobby, waiting for Cutter to reprimand him for yesterday's accident.

Cutter turned to face the soldier. Becker looked as stiff and unmoving as the Guard at Buckingham Palace. The Captain's hands were clasped behind his back, his eyes staring at a point on the wall behind Cutter.

"I read your report," said Cutter in his rolling brogue, "and just wanted to confirm that you never actually reached the summit of Scald Law."

"No Sir," answered Becker "the accident occurred before we reached the summit."

"Okay," replied Cutter, nodding his head. The Professor looked down and began shuffling the papers he held in his hands.

Becker watched for a moment. Cutter didn't say anything else, just kept sorting through his notes.

"Is that all Sir?" asked Becker.

Cutter looked up at the newest man on the team in surprise.

"What?" Cutter asked. "Are you still here?"

"Yes Sir," replied Becker.

"Why?"

"You said you wanted to talk to me about the report Sir," Becker answered.

Becker was beginning to feel uncomfortable. He hoped Cutter would finish this quickly before too many people came into the lobby.

"I just did," answered Cutter. He tilted his head sideways just a bit and looked at the young Captain as if he was inspecting a new and fascinating specimen. Cutter was trying to figure out what it was that the man needed from him. Nick smiled, kindly laugh lines crinkling around his eyes. Nick thought he understood what Becker needed to hear.

"You did a good job yesterday," praised the Professor. "Getting Connor in that helicopter was a minor miracle."

Becker blinked. This conversation wasn't what he had been expecting.

"Lester will be sending you both a bunch of forms to fill out for health and safety…" advised the Scot, "he'll rant and rave, but try not to take him too seriously."

"Is that all Sir?" repeated Becker.

"Go get some breakfast," said Cutter. "I'll have the desk ring our Dr. Page. We need to go back to Scald Law."

_-x-x-x-x-x-x_

_Cutter was interpreting the data the team had collected today, wondering how this new information would fit into his research model. It had been an interesting day._

_When Sarah finally came down to breakfast, she slipped into the booth beside Becker, directly across from Connor and Abby. Cutter had pulled up a chair and sat at the head of the table. Sarah flipped her long dark hair back over her shoulder and looked at the menu. Everyone else was already finishing their meal._

"_Hmm," Sarah said "I don't know what I want."_

"_Well whatever it is," chided the Professor "you need to be quick about it. It's supposed to rain this afternoon and I don't fancy being out on Scald Law then."_

"_What?" asked Sarah. "I thought we were going to check out the volcanic rock at Edinburgh Castle today."_

"_No," answered Cutter "Scald Law."_

_Becker drove the ARCs SUV. Cutter sat up front perusing the park map from the passenger seat. Connor, Abby and Sarah sat in back. When Becker parked the SUV at the gravel lot near the trailhead, Cutter turned to look at the team._

"_Becker, Connor," asked the Professor "there are several safer trails marked on this map. Why did the two of you pick this one?"_

_Becker and Connor exchanged a glance._

"_Dunno," replied Connor. "First one we found."_

"_It's also the only trail marked with a caution notice," said Cutter. _

_It was decided that Abby and Connor would walk around the base of the hill. Connor was hoping to find his cell phone somewhere beneath the steep drop off. Cutter, followed first by Sarah and then by Becker, headed for the top. _

"_Cutter," called Sarah "I really think we should look into some of the other spots I've identified. There are some really likely prospects for historical anomaly sightings."_

"_Like where?" asked Becker. _

"_Well," said Sarah slowly, "There are lots of places… for instance Kiev or __Neuchâtel, or the most likely one… I think… is Draguignan."_

"_Never heard of that," replied Becker "where is it?"_

"_South of France," chuckled Cutter "think that might have something to do with why Sarah thinks it's a likely spot."_

_Sarah gave an indignant little hmmph at that remark._

"_France?" exclaimed Becker "Do you really think we might need to go there?"_

"_Don't think about it," advised Cutter "the budget won't handle it… we'd have a better chance of going to Loch Ness."_

"_Connor would be thrilled," said Sarah as she stepped up to join Cutter on the summit. The low sweeping hills stretched for miles. Becker stepped up beside the two as Cutter brought his binoculars up to his eyes._

"_Connor would also be thrilled to check out Temple Hill," Becker said._

"_What?" asked Sarah._

"_Someplace on the map," answered Becker. "But we never got that far yesterday."_

_Cutter turned his binoculars and his attention to the steep embankment on the side of the hill they had just climbed. He was looking at the approach to the base of the hill. Abby and Connor were easy to locate, due to the bright red hooded sweatshirt Connor was wearing and the white sling around his arm. The two would soon be out of sight in the shadow of the hill, thought Cutter. _

_As Nick watched, Connor bent down, plucked a flower from the meadow, and presented it to Abby. Cutter chuckled. Then again, it might take the pair of trouble magnets hours to get to where they could begin searching for Connor's cell phone. _

"_Which direction is Temple Hill?" asked Cutter. _

"_Near the reservoir," answered Becker._

_Cutter turned the binoculars in the direction of the reservoir. He stared, and began to grin._

"_Well I'll be," he said as his cell phone began to ring. Cutter handed the binoculars to Sarah, pointing. Then he answered the phone. _

_Sarah raised the binoculars and looked in the direction of Temple Hill. "Oh no," she said passing the binoculars to Becker._

_"Yes Lester, I know there's an anomaly," the Professor spoke into his cell phone, "I'm looking at it…it's at Temple Hill."_

_-x-x-x-x-x-x_

Abby met Connor in the hallway as he came out of his hotel room. There had been no creature incursion at the Temple Hill anomaly, and it soon closed on its own, but the rain that had been threatening all day finally started. The team had returned to the hotel for hot showers and dry clothes. Now, it was time for dinner.

"I'm going down to the restaurant," she said "Sarah's already gone to save a table. Are you coming?"

"Yeah," replied Connor smiling. "Oh… we should get Becker too."

"What about Cutter?"

"He's not coming," answered Connor "too busy trying to figure out timelines."

Abby followed Connor to the door at the end of the hall. He knocked quickly on the dark wooden door with his left hand. He was still knocking when Becker opened the door. Connor found himself knocking on the Captain's chest.

"Oh, uh hi," stammered Connor "we… that is Abby and I… are going down now for dinner… meeting Sarah… did you want to join us."

"Yeah," nodded Becker "just let me get a jacket." Becker had changed from his wet uniform into black sweatpants and a bright lime green t-shirt. He turned and walked back into his room.

"The Warriors?" asked Abby, reading the text on Becker's t-shirt.

"Yeah, it's a softball team in the US," replied Becker as he grabbed a black hooded sweatshirt. "My cousin in Wisconsin sent it to me, his daughter is the pitcher."

Dinner was comfortable and cozy. Thursday nights were obviously a slow night at this small hotel. The little restaurant had no other patrons, so the foursome was able to chat and laugh as loud as they wanted. Afterwards, they wandered into the hotel lounge. It was empty, except for an assortment of tables and chairs, an old juke box, a pinball machine and a shaky ping pong table.

"Ping pong," asked Sarah in surprise "does anyone really play that?"

Becker stood by the door, watching.

Sarah moved quickly to the juke box, searching the lists first and then her purse for change. She pushed some coins in and made a selection, then returned to perusing the list. Periodically Sarah added more coins and then pushed more buttons.

Connor put a coin in the pinball machine. It lit up brightly. He pressed some levers and buttons, but one handed he wasn't able to do keep the shiny metal ball in play. The game was over practically before it began.

"Can't do anything one handed," grumbled Connor as the first of Sarah's music selections began to play. "I'm usually a regular pinball wizard."

Abby smirked at his comment, and then picked up the ping pong paddle from the table in front of her.

"You can do this one handed," she encouraged. Connor accepted the paddle and walked to the other side of the table near the door. "Ready?"

Connor nodded, and Abby slammed the tiny white plastic ball into play. They volleyed back and forth for a few moments.

"Argh," groaned Connor in frustration. He spun to his right, but missed the return.

"Careful," ordered Becker as he stepped forward to steady the wobbling scientist.

"Thanks mate," replied Connor "didn't fancy another fall." Connor set the paddle on the table.

"What?" asked Abby "Are you giving up?"

"Abby," said Connor "it's just…"

"Connor," said Becker handing him the ping pong paddle and grabbing another for himself "We'll do it together, I'll be your right hand man."

Abby watched as the two men aligned themselves in front of the ping pong table. They turned to face her.

"Are you ready?"

Abby shook her head. "Two against one?" she asked. "No way! Sarah, I need a little help please. Would you give me a hand?"

_-x-x-x-x-x-x_


	4. London

**Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me, this is fan fiction, not for profit.**

**Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.**

London

_-x-x-x-x-x-x_

Early Friday morning Becker and Cutter started packing up the ARCs big SUV with all their technical gear and weaponry. Sarah was frantically sorting through reams of papers, adding the ones she wanted to take back to London into a cardboard box. Abby was asked to go with Connor to the hospital for his follow up exam.

"We don't want Connor roaming around Edinburgh on his own," chuckled Cutter. "No telling what kind of trouble he'd get into."

Abby smirked at the comment, while Connor opened and then shut his mouth without saying anything.

"Be back as soon as possible," reminded Cutter "we want to leave by ten."

Cutter, Becker and Sarah were sitting in the hotel restaurant, empty coffee cups on the table in front of them. The last of the luggage had long since been added to the SUV when the pair returned.

Connor's arm was no longer in a sling. He was walking head down, staring at the tiny gadget he held in both hands. Abby was holding on to his sleeve, steering him across the lobby carpet.

"Is everything alright?" asked Cutter. "What took so long?"

Connor looked up from what he was doing for a brief moment.

"The arm is fine," Connor answered "doctor said no heavy lifting or doing pull-ups for a month… not that I do pull-ups… but if I did…"

"What took so long?" repeated Cutter.

"We stopped to get a cell phone," answered Abby. "The store had some phones with games that are being beta tested. Connor had to check out each game, before he could pick a new cell phone."

"You choose your cell phone based on what kind of game it plays?" asked Cutter incredulously.

"Well yeah," answered Connor. "This new game… if they get the kinks worked out… it'll be great."

_-x-x-x-x-x-x_

_Lester had reviewed the accident report that Becker had submitted several times. Lester shook his head. While it was admirable to feel such a sense of responsibility, there were some things that were beyond anyone's control._

_Connor's report of the accident was short and to the point, but that was to be expected. The young scientist hated writing reports. _

_Cutter's report was precise, and laid the blame for the accident squarely on Cutter's own shoulders. "I shouldn't have sent the two out by themselves," Cutter wrote. "Splitting up the team was a mistake."_

_-x-x-x-x-x-x_

Lester was waiting for the team when they finally arrived back in London. The late start, and subsequent delay due to road construction near Manchester, had made the seven hour drive even longer.

"Oh," cooed Sarah with a smirk as she stepped out of the SUV, "you waited up."

Lester narrowed his eyes at her jest, but didn't say anything until everyone was out of the SUV.

"In my office," Lester said quietly. He then turned abruptly on his heels and marched up the ramp. The team glanced at each other, and then followed him.

Becker was the last of the team to file into Lester's office. He heard whispered comments as he entered the room.

"Ow!" said Connor "Quit poking!"

"Move over then!" hissed Abby.

"Sssh," admonished Sarah.

The sound of shuffling feet finally stilled.

"Shut the door please," said Lester. "The night staff doesn't need to hear this."

"Lester," began Cutter "whatever you've got to say… can't it wait until Monday?"

"No," replied Lester.

In the sudden quiet, Lester looked from one person to another.

"Might I remind you," said Lester "that you are each extraordinarily brilliant in your own area of expertise."

The team stared at Lester.

"Becker's area of expertise," continued Lester "is security. Your security I might add."

Lester focused his gaze directly on Connor. The young mans eyes widened. Connor gulped nervously under the direct scrutiny of his boss.

"In your accident report," said Lester "you said Becker told you to stay still, but you took it upon yourself to move."

"Yeah," said Connor. "Didn't like being on the edge there… don't like heights."

"I don't like my team getting injured," stated Lester. "You wouldn't have been injured if you had stayed still as Becker told you."

"We'd already fallen," said Becker "he was already hurt."

"No," said Connor turning to face the soldier. "I mean yeah… we'd already fallen… and everything hurt… but I was able to move my arm…"

Becker stared at the young scientist uncomprehendingly.

"I was able to move my arm then," reminded Connor. "I twisted it somehow, dislocated it when I was climbing up to the rock."

"If Becker tells you to do something," said Lester to the team "I would suggest you listen and do it."

"Unless I say otherwise," reminded Cutter with a grin. "Now, I think it's time to call it a day. Anyone fancy a pint?"

"Go on now, dismissed," said Lester with a nod of his head. As the team started back down the ramp, he called after them. "I will expect full reports on Monday."

At the small pub near the ARC, Cutter bought the first round of pints. The professor left soon afterwards. Becker, Sarah, Abby and Connor stayed in the booth.

They each ordered another pint and spent some time chatting, swapping jokes and stories. Connor's tale of being stuck in a tree house as a child during a thunderstorm explained his fear of heights.

"I'll try to keep you out of trees," chuckled Becker.

He set his empty glass down on the table as Connor stood up to join Abby. The two were heading back to their flat. Sarah was putting on her jacket and getting ready to leave also.

"Oh no worries," replied Connor "I think that helicopter ride may have cured my acrophobia. Mind you, I don't think I'll be climbing trees any time soon…"

_-x-x-x-x-x-x_


End file.
